Nestled in the dense forests of southwestern Vermont lies an area known as the Bennington Triangle, a region that has long been associated with high strangeness, including mysterious disappearances, cryptid sightings, and UFO encounters. The term “Bennington Triangle” was coined by New England author Joseph Citro in 1992, who drew comparisons to the infamous Bridgewater Triangle in Massachusetts and the Bermuda Triangle.
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Vermont, one of the least populated states in the United States, is nearly 80% forest, with over 4.5 million acres of woodland, 808 lakes and ponds, and more than 7,000 miles of rivers and streams. This vast wilderness provides ample space for the unknown to hide, and the Bennington Triangle has become a hotspot for those seeking answers to the unexplained.
One of the most intriguing aspects of the Bennington Triangle is the legend of the Bennington Monster, also known as the Bennington Triangle Creature. This Bigfoot-like entity has allegedly been terrorizing the area since the 1800s, with descriptions varying from a large, muscular humanoid to a creature with shaggy hair and glowing red eyes. Some believe the Bennington Monster could be a type of Bigfoot or Sasquatch, while others propose it may be an entirely unknown species.
However, the Bennington Triangle gained notoriety due to a series of strange disappearances that occurred between 1945 and 1950. During this five-year period, six individuals vanished under unusual circumstances, a significant number considering Vermont’s small population of just under 360,000 at the time.
The first case involved Carl Herrick, who went missing in 1943 while hunting with his cousin. Hendricks’ body was later found. His gun was nearby with no bullets discharged. His autopsy determined that his death was caused by “squeezing,” with his ribs puncturing his lungs. Did he have an encounter with the Bennington Monster?
The second disappearance was that of Middie Rivers, a 74-year-old experienced hunter and guide who vanished without a trace in 1945 while leading a hunting party near Glastonbury Mountain.
In 1946, Paula Weldon, an 18-year-old college student, disappeared while hiking the Long Trail, a scenic route that runs through the Green Mountains. Despite extensive searches, no trace of Weldon was ever found.
Three years later, James Tedford, a World War II veteran, vanished from a bus headed to Bennington. Curiously, his luggage remained on the bus, and a timetable was found on his empty seat.
The final two disappearances occurred in 1950. Eight-year-old Paul Jepson went missing from his mother’s truck near their family’s pig farm. Interestingly, Paul’s father claimed that his son had mentioned the mountains were “calling to him” in the days leading up to his disappearance.
Just 16 days later, 53-year-old Freida Lander, an experienced hiker, vanished while hiking with her cousin. Her body was discovered seven months later in an area that had been thoroughly searched, but due to decomposition, no cause of death could be determined.
Adding to the mystery of the Bennington Triangle are several plane crashes that have occurred along the Long Trail between 1944 and 1973. The most notable incidents include a B-24 Liberator bomber crash in 1944, a two-engine aircraft crash in 1969, and a Cessna crash in 1973. The wreckage of these planes can still be found near the trail, serving as eerie reminders of the area’s tragic past.
Native American legends also contribute to the Bennington Triangle’s enigmatic reputation. The Abenaki people, who once inhabited the region, believed the Glastonbury Mountain to be cursed land, home to a spirit known as the Stone Man or the Glastonbury Giant. This entity was said to bring misfortune to those who ventured into its domain. The Abenaki would only set foot on the mountain to bury their dead, as they believed the area was a place where the four winds met in an eternal struggle, causing erratic weather patterns and plants to grow at odd angles.
Furthermore, the Bennington Triangle has been a hotspot for UFO sightings and strange lights, particularly during the 1960s and 1990s. Reports often describe glowing orbs, disc-shaped objects, and triangular craft moving silently through the sky or hovering above the treetops before vanishing suddenly.
One of the most intriguing UFO encounters allegedly occurred at the Buff Ledge Camp in 1968. According to the account, a 16-year-old Michael Lapp and his 19-year-old camp counselor, Janet Cornell, witnessed a cigar-shaped object from which three smaller craft emerged. The two claimed to have experienced telepathic communication with two figures that appeared in the craft’s dome, who stated they were not going to hurt the people and that they were on a mission to Earth to obtain an unspecified form of energy. The incident, which involved a beam of light and missing time, was investigated by UFO researcher Walter Webb, who spent five years attempting to unravel the truth behind the Buff Ledge Camp case.
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